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Ceremonies and Rituals Ceremonies and Rituals Kappa Delta Pi 3707 Woodview Trace Indianapolis, IN 46268-1158 317.871.4900 800.284.3167 317.704.2323 (fax) www.kdp.org Contents CHAPTER INITIATIONS Preparing for Ritual Ceremonies .................................................. 1 Initiation of Members into an Active Chapter .............................. 2 Reaffirmation Ceremony ............................................................. 8 Ceremony for Graduating Members ........................................... 11 CHAPTER AWARDS Awarding Honorary Membership............................................... 12 NEW CHAPTER INSTALLATIONS Preparing for Ritual Ceremonies ................................................ 13 Initiation of Charter Members of Chapter ................................... 14 Installation of Chapters.............................................................. 19 INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS Preparing for Ritual Ceremonies ................................................ 21 Installation of Chapter Officers .................................................. 22 Installation of Executive Council Officers .................................. 24 ADDENDUM to the Initiation of Members ........................................... 26 CHAPTER INITIATIONS Preparing for Ritual Ceremonies The original ritual of Kappa Delta Pi was written for the initiation of new members into the Society and was adopted by the Executive Council on March 3, 1927. The initiation ceremony ritual combined idealism, symbolism, and tradition. The ceremony was conducted in a “reverent and esthetic” manner, with symbols that suggested inspiration, introspection, and consciousness. Over time, revisions have been made to the original ritual, and additional ceremonies and rituals have been developed as needed. The following pages contain texts for ceremonies as authorized by Kappa Delta Pi’s Executive Council. Suggested Procedures Adequate preparation for any ritual is essential. Each ceremony should be performed with dignity. Sincerity and simplicity are key concepts, and should be emphasized in all arrangements. For every initiation and reaffirmation ceremony, a table covered with a white cloth and draped with a purple or green cloth of velvet, satin, or another soft material should be used. Four candles, either white or the Society’s colors (purple or green), should be placed prominently on the table. These candles, which are symbolic of the four ideals, should be lit prior to the beginning of the ceremony or during the ceremony as each of the four Society ideals is described. At the conclusion of the ceremony, certificates and other materials should be given to each initiate. Additional suggestions for conducting rituals are described in the Initiation Guidebook, which is available on Kappa Delta Pi’s Web site, www.kdp.org. 1 Initiation of Members into an Active Chapter (Chapters are urged to conduct this impressive ceremony with dignity and sensitivity. The physical facility should be arranged attractively, using significant symbols of the Society, such as the key, banner, or lantern of Kappa Delta Pi, green and/or purple candles, violets, etc. The initiation team, which may be officers or other members of the chapter, should practice the portion of the ritual that they will present. If unison affirmations are to be used, members of the chapter should face the initiating team during the ceremony. The Counselor, President, or a designated person should welcome the initiates and introduce the initiation team by name and position—if appropriate—either before or after the ceremony. This ceremony also is used when a suspended or withdrawn chapter is reactivated.) The Ceremony (Initiates should be seated together at the front of the room.) PRESIDENT: Members of the (Greek name) Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, International Honor Society in Education, are now assembled to reaffirm faith in the Ideals of our Society and to initiate into membership candidates who seek the bond of our common purpose: to promote excellence in and recognize outstanding contributions to education. PERSON PRESENTING CANDIDATES: (Name of Chapter President) and members of Kappa Delta Pi, I present these candidates who wish to make the Ideals of our Society their own. (Ask members and candidates to stand.) I present for initiation: (Full names, alphabetically by last name, with brief biographical information, if desired, may be presented here or later.) PRESIDENT: The Historian (or name of another designated person) will now relate the Society’s and this chapter’s origins. 2 HISTORIAN: Kappa Delta Pi was founded on March 8, 1911, at the University of Illinois. The Society was incorporated on June 8, 1911. The (Greek name) Chapter was installed by (name of installing officer) on (date of installation). (Additional historical information available from Headquarters may be included here.) PRESIDENT: What does membership in Kappa Delta Pi imply? VICE PRESIDENT: It implies fostering the high ideals of the education profession by assuming trusteeship of a rich professional legacy. It is our privilege and duty as educators to transmit this legacy. PRESIDENT: Candidates, do you accept the responsibility of transmitting this legacy? If so, you will answer, “I do.” CANDIDATES: I do. PRESIDENT: What are the principles upon which the Society is founded? VICE PRESIDENT: Education is a vital societal force that encourages universal welfare and individual progress. Education is the cornerstone of democracy and the foundation for personal fulfillment. Honor societies conduct rituals and ceremonies to impress upon their members the ideals and duties to which they adhere. Members of Kappa Delta Pi have cherished the Society’s Ideals and accepted the concepts of duty established when the organization was founded. New members of Kappa Delta Pi should be aware of the duties which education imposes and uphold the Ideals of the Society. PRESIDENT: We present, for your acceptance, the Ideals, which guide members of the Society. 3 SECRETARY: (A candle may be lit before reading, after the first sentence, or at the end of the section.) The first Ideal is that of Fidelity to Humanity. This Ideal implies faith in the potential of human beings and in the improvement of the human condition through education; compassion in the contacts one has, as an educator, with humanity; and dedication to the concept that through continuous education based upon equal opportunity, persons of all ages, races, and creeds will find increased opportunity for experiencing more meaningful lives. All of this is implied in the Ideal of Fidelity to Humanity. PRESIDENT: Do you accept this Ideal of Fidelity to Humanity? If so, you will answer, “I do.” CANDIDATES: I do. (Optional: All members in unison: “And we affirm anew our faith in the Ideal of Fidelity to Humanity.”) TREASURER: (A candle may be lit before reading, after the first sentence, or at the end of the section.) The second is the Ideal of Science. This Ideal implies that, as an educator, one will be faithful to the cause of free inquiry and strive to eliminate prejudice and superstition by withholding judgment until accurate and adequate evidence is obtained. One will not distort evidence to support a favorite theory; not be blinded by the new or spectacular; nor condemn the old simply because it is old. All of this is implied in the Ideal of Science. PRESIDENT: Do you accept this Ideal of Science? If so, you will answer, “I do.” CANDIDATES: I do. (Optional: All members in unison: “And we affirm anew our faith in the Ideal of Science.”) 4 MEMBER OF THE SOCIETY: (A candle may be lit before reading, after the first sentence, or at the end of the section.) The third Ideal is that of Service. This Ideal is the very essence of education which seeks advancement, not merely for self, but for society as well. The incentive of the great educators of the world has been their desire to serve humanity. Service in education implies living so that others are strengthened and inspired, and striving for the achievement of justice, peace, and a better way of life for all. All of this is implied in the Ideal of Service. PRESIDENT: Do you accept this Ideal of Service? If so, you will answer, “I do.” CANDIDATES: I do. (Optional: All members in unison: “And we affirm anew our faith in the Ideal of Service.”) COUNSELOR: (A candle may be lit before reading, after the first sentence, or at the end of the section.) The final Ideal is that of Toil—the will to do the task that must be done whether the task pleases one or not, and faith in the social necessity and intrinsic reward of the education profession. It implies working with such faith and zeal that others are won to the cause of education. If one life has been given greater freedom and nobler vision, toil has not been in vain. All of this is implied in the Ideal of Toil. PRESIDENT: Do you accept this Ideal of Toil? If so, you will answer, “I do.” CANDIDATES: I do. (Optional: All members in unison: “And we affirm anew our faith in the Ideal of Toil.”) 5 PRESIDENT: (Refer to the Society banner, which should be prominently displayed.) Our Society’s emblem incorporates the scroll, the stylus, the beehive, and the characters K (Kappa) Δ (Delta), Π (Pi). Many of the treasures of antiquity, which form the foundation of modern education, rest upon scrolls of papyrus. The golden scroll, therefore, is the foundation of our emblem. The shaft running through the scroll is the stylus, the first instrument known to be used in making letters and figures. The beehive symbolizes
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